NIH Issues New Policy on Certificates of Confidentiality

NIH Issues New Policy on Certificates of Confidentiality

September 14, 2017

NIH recently issued a new policy on Certificates of Confidentiality (CoCs). The CoCs protect researchers and institutions from being compelled to disclose information in response to legal demands that would identify their research subjects. Section 2012 of the 21st Century Cures Act authorized new provisions governing the authority of HHS to protect the privacy of research subjects. The new policy, NOT-OD-17-109, implements the new CoC statutory requirements.

To find out what this means for NIH funded investigators, research funded by other federal agencies and non-federally funded research, visit the NIH Office of Extramural Research CoC website. Questions may be sent to NIH CoC mailbox: NIH-CoC-Coordinator@mail.nih.gov.